Holding device



s 1951 A. w. LA FLAMME ETAL I 2,566,804

HOLDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1947 INVENTOR.

Zdf/Z/ a f L x Patented Sept. 4, 1951 HOLDING DEVICE Alderic W. La Flamme and Emanuel Goldstein, Springfield, Mass.

Application October 22, 1947, Serial No. 781,474

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-90) This invention relates to improvements in holding devices.

ihe principal object of the invention is the provision of a holding device which is adapted for holding adjacent receptacles against separation and is characterized by means which provides a scraping edge.

It is common practice for manufacturers to deliver confections, such as ice cream, in containers commonly called tubs. These containers are placed in refrigerating apparatus by the retailer and recently such tubs have been made from car board or the like.

The sides of the containers are frequently broken down, the containers shift and there is no suitable place for scraping the scoop as the ice cream is dispensed.

According to this invention, a holder is provided which is relatively rigid and has adjacent grooves for receiving the rims of adjacent containers and scraping edges as will appear.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of our inventon as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying the features of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a plurality of devices associated with a plurality of containers; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The holder 2 of the invention includes an upper plate 6 which may be of any size or form and it has longitudinal scraping edges 6.

Inner flanges 8 extend downwardly from the plate and outer flanges it spaced from said flanges also extend downwardly from said plate.

The flanges 3 and it are relatively formed and arranged to provide grooves l2 therebetween in which upper portions of the rims of tubs are receivable. V

Preferably the flanges 8 extend below the flanges i as shown in Fig. 3.

A plurality of ribs l i extend between the flanges and are secured to the plate l and other ribs in extend outwardly from the flanges l and downwardly from the plate 4.

As shown in Fig. 2, one of the devices 2 may be arranged to engage two adjacent tubs T or several of the devices may be used for engaging and holding a number of such tubs.

When the device engages the tubs they are held together against unwanted separation, the adjacent upper edges of the walls are protected and the scraping edges 6 afford means against which a dispensing utensil such as a scoop may be drawn for removing excess material.

The device may be made from various materials such as from plastic, metal or the like so as to be relatively rigid. Preferably the device will be made from material which may be readily and easily cleaned or sterilized with the usual agents thereof without injury thereto.

In this way the device is sanitary while at the same time it functions for the purpose intended.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. 7

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A unitary rigid device for holding the upper cylindrical rims of cylindrical ice cream containers and the like in adjacency against separation comprising in combination, an upper imperforate plate for resting on rims of adjacent containers having opposite and adjacent longitudinal and transverse scraping edges, two pairs of outer and inner flanges depending from the underside of said plate and the flanges of said pairs being spaced apart to provide rim receiving grooves, the pairs of flanges having intermediate portions in adjacency intermediate opposite sides and ends of the plate and curving away from one another in the arc of a circle to the jointure of said side and end edges of the plate whereby the grooves formed by said flanges are adapted to receive adjacent portions of the circular rims of adjacent containers and longitudinal portions of said plate extend outwardly beyond intermediate portions of the outer flanges of the pairs thereof,

reinforcing ribs connectingsaid inner flanges of the pairs thereof and said plate, and other ribs connecting said outer flanges and said plate.

2. A unitary device for holding th upper rims of adjacent cylindrical ice cream containers against separation comprising in combination, an upper imperforate plate for resting on the rims of adjacent containers having opposite and adjacent longitudinal and transverse scraping edges, two pairs of outer and inner flanges depending from the underside 0t said plate and the flanges of said pairs" being spaced apart to provide rim receiving grooves, said pairs of flanges having intermediate portions in adjacency inter:

mediate opposite sides and ends of said plate and curving away from one another in the arc of'acircle to the jointure of the side and end edges of said plate whereby the grooves formed bys'aid flanges are adapted to receive adjacent portions of the rims of adjacent containers and longitudinal portions of said plate extend outwardly beyond intermediate portions of the outer flanges of said pairs, reinforcing ribs connecting the inner flanges of said pairs and said plate, and other ribs connecting the outer flanges and said plate.

ALDERIC W. LA FLAMME. EMANUEL GOLDSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 0i record in the file. of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 861,305 McFadden July 30, 1907 1,917,818 Gerlat 1 Dec. 18, 1923 1,833,918 singer Dec. 1, 1931 1,868,772 singer July 26, 1932 2,081,362 McGinnis May 25, 1937 2,089,698 Horton Aug. 10, 1937 2,483,038 Curtis Sept. 27, 1949 

